I Was Excited for Google and Samsung's AI Glasses, Until I Tried to Buy Them

Quick summary: Google and Samsung’s Intelligent Eyewear from Warby Parker and Gentle Monster is officially on sale, and I went in excited. Then I actually tried to order a pair. No transition lenses at Warby Parker, one frame size at Gentle Monster, styles you can’t order or that are backordered, and a launch that feels strangely hands-off for a tech product. I still bought a pair, but if you already own Meta glasses, I’d stick with them for now.

Key takeaways

• You can only buy the glasses on the Warby Parker and Gentle Monster websites (plus their stores and pop-ups). Not Samsung, not Google, not Best Buy, not Amazon, at least as of right now.
• Warby Parker offers a regular and a wide frame, but I couldn’t find any transition lenses.
• Gentle Monster has transition lenses on some frames, but seems to offer just one size per style.
• Prices run from about $395 at Warby Parker up to around $600 with prescription lenses. The Gentle Monster pair I looked at was about $470, plus roughly $140 to $150 for lenses.
• If you already have Meta glasses (Gen 2 or newer), on paper I’d say don’t switch yet.

If you want the full rundown of official prices, specs and features, I covered that in Google & Samsung AI Glasses: Warby Parker vs Gentle Monster Prices, Features and Release Date. This one is about what happened when I actually went to buy them.

Where you can (and can’t) buy them

The glasses are live on both the Warby Parker and Gentle Monster websites, with different frames and colors to pick from. What’s weird is that you still can’t buy them on Samsung’s website, Google’s website, Best Buy or Amazon, and it looks like it’s going to stay that way, with the eyewear companies selling them directly. I went deeper on that in why it’s strange you can’t buy these at Google, Samsung, Best Buy or Amazon.

Warby Parker: wide frames, but where are the transition lenses?

Here’s what I like about Warby Parker: you can choose a regular medium frame or a wide frame. With Meta I always get the large frames, and Warby Parker’s wide option is the same idea. Wider frames don’t pinch my head as much and they just fit better.

Here’s what annoys me: from what I could see (and I could have missed it, but I don’t think I did), there are no transition lenses. For glasses you’re supposed to wear all day, indoors and out, that’s a strange thing to leave out.

Prices: Warby Parker vs Gentle Monster

• Warby Parker: starts at $395, and goes up to about $600 if you get prescription lenses through them. Skip the prescription and you’re right around $400 or a little under.
• Gentle Monster: the frames I looked at were a little under $500, around $470, and lenses added roughly another $140 to $150. That puts you over $600 with lenses.

Will insurance help?

If you have vision insurance, you may be able to knock some of that down, even though the frames and lenses will probably count as out of network. Whether your plan actually covers it is the big question, so check before you order.

Gentle Monster: transitions, but one size

Gentle Monster does offer transition lenses on some of its frames, which is great. The catch is that each style seems to come in only one size. So I can’t pick a large frame and get transition lenses. Neither site gives you the best of both worlds.

Virtual try-on, and who these are made for

Both sites have a virtual try-on, which is cool, and you can also try them in stores and at some pop-up locations. But almost every photo on both sites shows the glasses on women. I think Gentle Monster has maybe one guy, and you barely see the glasses on him. Show me a mix of people, men and women.

A lot of the styles also lean feminine. I’d say Warby Parker has about one pair that works well for men, and Gentle Monster has maybe two or three. That’s fine if those fit your style, but it narrows things a lot.

What I ordered (and the backorder problem)

I ended up buying what I believe are called the GGS 001, and honestly, I think they might be too small for me. That’s partly because some Gentle Monster styles won’t even let you place an order, and others are backordered, including the Reed style I originally wanted. So I went with what I could actually get.

Should you switch from Meta glasses to Gemini glasses?

This is probably the real question. The Gemini glasses do have some exclusives versus Meta, like Uber integration and, obviously, Gemini itself. But I don’t care that much about having Uber built into my glasses. Both lineups cover the basic things I personally want.

So on paper: no. If you have Meta glasses from Gen 2 and up, I’d stick with them, unless you absolutely need Gemini for something. Even then, you can sometimes still talk to Gemini through your current glasses, since it picks you up through the glasses’ microphones and audio. I might change my mind once my pair shows up, and I’ll let you know.

If you’re comparing what Meta’s glasses already do, here are the Meta AI glasses features I use every day.

The “until…”: a clunky launch

I’ve said it multiple times, and I’ll say it again: this launch is frustrating, awkward and weird. It feels hands-off, especially for a tech product. I want to buy these in more places, and I want to see Samsung and Google actually have a hand in it instead of leaving everything to the eyewear companies. With backorders, some of these glasses are also going to miss the holiday gift window.

That’s what pulled me away from some of the excitement. I’m a tech fan, not a glasses fan, and right now these don’t feel like Samsung and Google products. Do you care whether Google and Samsung are front and center here, or are you fine with them being a background player? Let me know in the comments on the video.

Shop AI glasses you can buy today

Google and Samsung’s glasses are only sold through Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, so there’s no affiliate link for them here. If you want AI glasses you can buy right now, these are the Meta glasses I’d look at (prices from meta.com, checked November 12). Use promo code GREGGLESTV at checkout on Meta’s site.

• Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer (Gen 3) at Meta, from $449
• Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer (Gen 1) at Meta, sale from $224 (was $299)
• Ray-Ban Meta Skyler (Gen 1) at Meta, sale from $224 (was $299)
• Meta Ray-Ban Display + Neural Band at Meta, from $799
• Oakley Meta Vanguard at Meta, from $499
• Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer (Gen 1) at Best Buy